Cliffs get timely boost from Potter appearance
From July 17, when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is released, parts of the movie filmed at the 700-foot high cliff formation will receive a worldwide audience of millions.
But cinema goers are already getting a taste of the action as the international trailer for the movie opens with a sequence shot from the famed site – a mere fortnight before the July 21 decision on the shortlist for the new wonders of nature.
In one particularly spectacular sequence in the movie, in which the camera shoots towards a sea cave in the face of the towering cliffs, Harry Potter and Prof Dumbledore appear standing on a rock in raging seas.
Through the miracle of modern technology, the rock – Lemon Rock off the Kerry coast – appears in the sea in front of the cave and cliffs which are found at the site.
The footage, which was filmed from helicopter and boat, was shot in September 2007, when a movie crew was based at the cliffs for seven days.
Millions of people have already seen the trailer in cinemas around the world while the footage has also been viewed on YouTube several million times.
Coming just two weeks before the cut-off point for the Seascapes category in the new seven wonders of nature competition, local tourist groups have warmly welcomed the publicity.
“The release of the film will coincide with the shortlisting period for the new seven wonders of nature when we are hoping that the cliffs will make it in the final 28.
“This type of exposure is invaluable for the profile of the Cliffs of Moher worldwide, and is a further massive boost to tourism,” explained Katherine Webster, director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
Of the original 261 nominees from 222 countries for the international landmark contest, the cliffs have already made in to a shortlist of 77.
However, if they climb just one place in the Seascapes category, they will make it in to the 28-strong shortlist.
Voting will continue throughout 2010 and into 2011 when the official new seven wonders of nature will be announced.
Among the other potential shortlisted sites for the seven-category international competition include the Great Barrier Reef (Australia/Papua New Guinea), Dean’s Blue Hole (Bahamas), the Ganges River (Bangladesh/India), Niagara Falls (Canada/US), Mount Vesuvius (Italy), and the Kalahari Desert (Bostwana/Namibia/South Africa).
lGo to the website, www.new7wonders.com, to see the list of sites and vote for your favourite.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
